Ginny Weasley – More than just a love interest?

As part of #PotterheadJuly, I am writing today about Ginny Weasley and her role in the Harry Potter series. If you want to check out the schedule for the rest of the posts in July, you can find it here.

My love for Ginny Weasley is relatively recent, unlike Hermione where it was love at first sight. Ginny didn’t matter until book 2 and by then I was firmly in love with Hermione, I had eyes for no one else.
That all changed when I started to think about her seriously. In the films, she is portrayed as little more than the little girl who needed saving, or the youngest, overlooked Weasley or the girl lucky enough to catch the Harry Potter’s eye. But she is far more than that.

She is the girl who taught herself to play Quidditch because she wasn’t allowed to join in with her brothers. She broke into the family broom shed and took each out of her brothers’ brooms in turns. This was only found out many years later as Ginny went on to play as both a Seeker and Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

She is the girl strong enough and brave enough at age 11 to resist Lord Voldemort, which is a feat many grown witches and wizards couldn’t even dream of achieving. Whilst, ultimately she may have needed help, she managed to throw away the diary that Voldemort was using to control her, showing her strength.

She is the girl that came up with the name Dumbledore’s Army and then proceeded to stun everyone with her skill at defensive magic. Even once Harry, Ron and Hermione left, she continued on with it with Luna and Neville in order to defy Snape and prove Hogwarts was still loyal to Harry Potter.

She is the girl that was in love with Harry but she didn’t mope around looking tragic and wait for him to return her love. She went on and dated Michael Corner and Dean Thomas, despite her brother’s disapproval. Initially she was shy and nervous around Harry but she grew into a funny, kind, confident women who didn’t just wait for him.

She is the girl who is a fierce and loyal friend, first to Luna who everyone finds odd and teases, yet she defends and also to Neville, who she agrees to go to the Ball with, even though she’d rather go with Harry. She defends and supports her friends no matter what is happening in the Wizarding World around her.

She is the girl who fought in numerous battles, most notably the Battle of Hogwarts and never backed down from a fight. From standing up to Draco Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts aged 11 to taking on Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts. She is known for her Bat Bogey Hexes and is notorious for her determination to stand up for what she believes in, regardless of the risk.

She is the girl who is Harry’s love interest, but she is also so much more than that. She is a fierce and loyal friend, a determined and brave fighter, a loving sister, a Quidditch player and so much more. She is not defined by her status as the Boy Who Lived’s girlfriend, quite the opposite, I would argue her role as his love interest is her least important one.

So, what do you think? Is Ginny Weasley more than just a love interest?

YAY FOR GINNY! I feel like (along with many other characters) in the movie she got rather reduced to an archetype — in this case the love interest. But she’s such a complex and strong character and asdfjkl I LOVE HER. ❤ Fab post!

I love Ginny as a character. She’s such a great character who I wish we got to see more of even in the books. Not only did she agree to go to the Yule Ball with Neville, I feel like people often forget that it was Ginny that encouraged the others to share a compartment with Luna on the train, and she seemed to have struck up some sort of casual friendship with Luna already by then when most others at the school kept her at a distance. That seems to be something people ignore about her character more often than not, and I love how she’s written as such a kind, caring person while also being someone who stands up against others too.

Ginny is such a great character! I think she was definitely underrated, both within the bookworld and in ours. I’m so glad there are posts like these that share her awesomeness with us all! She definitely was living life on her own terms, and I admire her for that. 🙂

We’re twinsies! I also did my post on Ginny Weasley (scheduled to go up tomorrow) and I’m so glad to find someone who appreciates her just as much as I do. I love how brave she is and I think people forget that she was a really talented witch. Enjoyed your post so much!

We’re twinsies! I also did my post on Ginny Weasley (scheduled to go up tomorrow) and I’m so glad to find someone who appreciates her just as much as I do. I love how brave she is and I think people forget that she was a really talented witch. Enjoyed your post so much 🙂

I was actually reading Alicia’s post about Ginny when I remembered all the good qualities she had. I got very caught up in just not wanting her to be a couple with Harry that I often forgot the great stuff she did as a character. Particularly, practising in private to be a Quidditch player. She’s a pretty cool character!

I never really pay attention to Ginny, Luna is always my favorite! But I have to admit, her bravery and the way she doesn’t wait for Harry but actually do something, is really why I love her character. Reading this post really reminds me of other amazing qualities she has! ❤

I admire Ginny more with each reread, she really holds her own – especially towards the later books, and I wish she got more screentime. I love that she was a ‘love interest’ with a life outside of Harry Potter, she had her own group of friends and hobbies – and it never felt like she was a 2nd fiddle to the trio. I know a lot of people didn’t like that Harry ended up with her in the end, but I honestly think they completely deserve each other.

Thanks for joining Potterhead July and contributing this fascinating post!

I’m not really a fan of Harry Potter. The writing just doesn’t click with me, but I’m always amazed by how many layers there are to Rowling’s writing. Reading about her characters makes me want to love her ^-^ I love it when supporting characters rule, and I think Ginny sounds pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing!